High-potential electric switch.



0. 0. BADEAU. HIGH POTENTIAL ELECTRIC SWITCH. APPLICATION II'LED FEB. 24, 1911.

Patented Mar. 4,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

3 mac n Ioz Bandeau 0. G. BADEAU.

HIGH POTENTIAL ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION IILED FEB.24,1911.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

entrant-Es c. music, on wm'rnnor, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR ro sEAnsn. CONDIT,

JR, or BROOKLINE, 'nmssncnnsn'rrs.

HIGH-POTENTIAL nnnc'rnrc SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Mar. 4, 1913.,

7 Application filed February 24,1911.- Serial No. 610,593.

" electric switches, the object being to provide a switch of this kind which will withstand.

very high voltages and which will embody means for reducing the potential to a lower value so that it may be led away from the switch at a voltage safe .to handle on a switchboard or translating devices.

With voltages of thirty thousand and upward, it is'necessary to exercise extraordt nary care the insulation to prevent surface leakage and striking of an arc. Tl'l1S 1S ordinarily effected by employing porcelain insulators and separating them a wlde distance' andso constructing them that a long path between live parts and the supporting mechanism is provided, and by making and breaking the circuit under oil Sucha construction, however, only partially solvesthe problem of highpotential transmission, since the-leads which carry theenergy from the switch are also at a high potential and require extraordinary cai'eiand much space 1n safely protecting them against grounding or cross -connection. ll so construct the switch that it may be of 'a ,comparatively 5 small size, thehigh potent al leads being married in the usual manner- 1n porcelain 1nsulators, but I mount ?the' insulators at an angle so. as to give aslonger air'path to the umnclosed 'iiveparts,"'and I romiealso l within the oilbath a transformer bywhich the potential may be reduced and the urrent of a relati-velyalower and safe voltage maybe led for distribution away fromthe high potential'apparatus as for example to 4'5 measuring instruments and trip coilson a switchboard. For the purpose of reducing 1 the voltage I prefer to employ a series transformer which I preferably mount upon the movable element of the switch, so that when the switch-is open the transformer is disconnected from the circuit, but siinultane-- ously with the closure of the switch and the transmission of high potential currents the series transformer is sion a, d its secondary delivers attired ter- Referring rought into'corr'nhis' minals a voltage safe to handle. The high voltage energy is brought to line terminals mounted. on porcelain insulators a safe distance from the working mechanism and connected with insulated switch leads by disconnecting switches which establish or disestabhsh a working relation with the high potential source of supply.

My invention therefore consists of a high potential switch provided with circuit mak ing andv breaking apparatus in an oil bath,

and a transformer in the same bath adaptthe switch is operated.

It comprises further a structure of this ed tobe thrown into and out of circuit when -kind in which the transformer is made a part of theinovable switch element, the primary terminals of the transformer being in.

cciiperative relation to the fixed line termin'als. of the switch. It comprises also an organization of this kind in which the secondary of the transformer is led from the switch to fixed-terminals for taking off a relatively low voltage current.

It comprises also an oil switch in which the highv potential leads are mounted in multi-section porcelain insulators supported at an angle to give increased striln'n'g distance at the outer ends, and disconnecting switches adapted to make-and-break connections with the line terminals.

Other features of novelty will be more particularly hereinafter described and defined in the claims. Y i v In the accompanying drawings to illustrate the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation: artlyFin section of. a high potential switc embodying I my; improvements;- Fig 2 iso similar view at,-ri t angles of the .plane of that. ofFigj 1; F1 L 3 is a top plan "view on a reduced scale ofthe switch shown in' Figs. 1 and, 2;;Fig. lisra di'agramr'natic' view showin details ofthe' series'transformer and ts circuits, and Fig. 5 shows a form ofthe switch without a series trans formenfi, s H

first to Figs. 1 to 4, 1, 2, 3, 4 represent tubular iron or stee-l'suppor tsupon which is mounted ara 'sting 5, which forms a supportingfstructure'fiir the switch parts,

casting 5 constituting a coverfor an Oil vessel for tank 6 resting onadjustable brackets 117. The oil tank may be con-.

strncted of galvanized sheetironreinforce-d by strengthening bands, as indicated, and

til)

lined with fiber or similar insulating material. with flanged openings 6, 6 the axes of which incline outwardly, the openings forma fiange at one end and a nut at the other.

' line.

These rods are shorter than the aggregate length of the multiple insulator and are spaced within the insulator by wooden blocks 9, 9 ,'the parts being adjusted into tight fitting relation by means of copper plates at the ends. One of these plates forms a connecting clip for the disconnecting switch, and the other the switch terminal lying below the oil line in the tank."

Disconne ing switches 10, 10 are pivoted on a bracket forming part of the upper plates of each terminal and a stop 12 (see Fig. 5) is mounted on the plate to limit the swinging movement of the disconnecting switch when it is operated to disconnect the The upper ends of the disconnecting switches engage terminals 13, 13 supported on the ends of a long porcelain insulator 15 (see Fig. 1), the central point of the insula-' tor 15 is provided with a neck inclosed in a wooden'board 16 mounted on the upper ends of iron ,tubes 17, 18, secured on the casting 5. These tubes form guides for a cross-head 19 mounted in sliding relation thereto. The cross-head is provided with metallic guides 19, 19* pivotally connected with the toggle links 20 on one of which is pivoted a bellcrank connected with the operating mecha nism leading away from the switch, as indicated at 21. Erbm the crosshead depends a wooden board 22, on the lower end of which is supported in the oil tank a laminated bridging contact. This may be a simple bridging contact as indicated in Fig. 5', mounted on a block secu ed in the board, or, in the. case of very big volt-ages it may be a series transformer, the primary terminals of which 27, 28 form two bridging contacts. Thus when the operating mechanism is actuated the toggles are straightened .or buckled and the movable switch element raisedor lowered into the oil bath.

The secondary circuit of the transformer is carried away from the oil, being mounted on the wooden board and leading out of the tank through a wide opening which may contain an insulator 23 upward to the crosshead. This structure will be more readily understood by an examinationof Figs. 2 and 4t,-the secondary terminals being indicated at 29 and 30 supported on the wooden board and connected at the top with light springs 31, 31 extending horizontally and.

The top of the casting is provided- -making a sliding contact with vertical rails 32, 33, supported on the casting forming the bundle of iron punchings 36, thoroughly in sulated and'having the primary and secondary windings on opposite sides of the rectahgular opening. It is then inclosed within a tubular envelop and filled with insulating compound: and clampedbet-ween bifurcated ends of the wooden board 22, as will be clearly understood from an inspection of Figs. 1, 2 and 4.

4 In Fig. '5, I have as my improvements may in some cases be used without. it. In this structure the bridging cont-act 26 is mounted on a wooden block 37 bolted in the board 22 in a manner similar to the mounting of the transformer. When the switch requires attention so, that an operator must approachand handle it,

the switch is first operated so that the con-,

tacts are broken in the oil, and the line potential is then cut off from any part of the switch by the operator pulling open the disconnectin switches 10, 10 by means of a long woo en rod so as to permit him to render any part of the switch absolutely dead before handling it.

Having thus described my invention I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. A high potential s'witch..having an oil tank in which the circuit is made and broken, a series transformer within the tank having its rimary leads connected to and movable -wi h the movable switch element.

2. A high potential switch having an oil tank in which its circuit is made and broken, a series transformer beneath the oil level connected to the movable switch element, the primary leads of the-transformer being adapted to bridge the fixed contacts of the switch.

3. A high potential switch having an oil. tank in which the circuit is made and broken, a series transformer beneath the oil movable with the switch element having its primary terminals made and broken coordinately with the closure of the switch circuit, and secondary transformer leads eX- -tending to fixed contacts outside of the oil tank.

4. A high potential oil switch having an 011 immersed series transformer, means for coordinately closing the primary circuit of omitted the transformer the transformer andthe switchfand secondary transformer terminals extending out of the watch in sliding relation to fixed con;

I tacts leading to an external circuit.

5. A high potentiaLoil switch comprising insulators in the oil'tank extending beneath the oil level, disconnecting switches pivoted on the insulators outside the tank, a line insulator and line terminals therefor suptank insulators extending beneath the level of the oil, said insulators being formed of amultiplicity ,of similar partsmeshing oneinto the other toform double walled insulation against grounding and mounted to incline outwardly from the operating mecha: nism.

8. In a high potential switchthe combinationof main fixed and movable contacts,

line terminals, and disconnecting switches for making connection of the main contacts.

with the line terminals, the support for the line terminals serving as a guide to direct the movement of the movable contact in a rectilinear path;

9, Ina high potential oil switch fixed'and movable'contacts with an insulating carrier for the movable contact operating on a gn-ide'frame, the insulating carrier 0on sisting of a mechanically strong member of semi-flexible or elastic material'extending- .into the oil and clamping a highly insulating support for the moving contact, the mechanically strong memberof semi-flexible or elastic material serving as a barrierbetwee'nthe opposite fixed contacts.

10.-A high potential switch provided with a movable bridging contact, fixed contacts in an oil bath, anda wide'movable barrier of insulating material carrying the movable contact, and extending out of the oil bath.

11. A high potential switch provided with .a movable bridging contact, fixedcontacts,

housed in insulators dipping in oil and inclining away from each other outwardly in the air, and a' widemovable insulating barrier between the fixed contacts carrying the movable contact, said barrier extending through the switch cover.

12. A high potential switch comprising an oil bath,vsectional insulators having their sections tapering and nested within the insulators, said insulators having their lower ends immersed in the oil bath and beingsupportedat an angle to one another to increase the striking distance.

In testimony whereof I afiix mysignature, in presence of two witnesses. CHARLES C. BADEAU, Witnesses: Y

EDMUND O. DUBoo Gno. N. KERR.

Copies of-thls pa tentmy be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, i9. (2. 

